Gareth Southgate Has Taken Some Risks With England World Cup Squad

With Joe Hart and Jack Wilshire leaked as notable absentees from Gareth Southgate's selection, today has seen the official release of the England World Cup squad.

Having one again qualified for a major tournament with ease, the 23 selected make for a fairly inexperienced bunch; Liverpool's 19-year-old full-back Alexander-Arnold has yet to make a senior appearance.

With 8 of the 23 coming from teams outside of the the Premier League's top four, the oldest player in the squad is the 32-year-old centre-back, Gary Cahill.

Although it was good news for Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana is one Liverpool player that did not make the cut. With his club teammates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain forced out through injury, Lallana, who has had issues with injury this season, would have been thought as an addition to the England World Cup squad in his place.

Manchester United's Chris Smalling is another notable absentee. With 31 caps to his name, Smalling was United's most consistent presence at centre-back this season. However, a number of high-profile errors appear to have informed Southgate's preference.

England will kick off their World Cup campaign against Tunisia on 18 June.